Friday, November 23, 2007
# 18 AID LEARNING 2.0
Started AID Learning apprehensive, even a little hostile. It was obligatory.
I am not so young. I dont use the internet, except at work, and only when neccessary, which is increasingly often.
Struck a number of technical problems regularly, because I am not at all familiar with the widespread technical jargon, buzzwurds, acronyms etc.
I had to ask for assistance when stuck.
I was most surprised and gobsmacked by what I found was "out there".
For a while I saw things through the eyes of a sociologist/anthropologist.
"Out there" was a major subculture of technology addicts, electronic junkies, hurriedly consuming a barrage of dumbed down "stuff"- the world of blogs, feeds and tags re food recipes rock bands,shopping fads, consumption of junk culture, junk news, junk commentaries, junk conversations.The endless consumption of gimmicks,by people communicating in a lingo of their own.Not unlike that of street gangs, pop groups or drug addicts.
I thought; What has this to do with libraries?
Was this some kind of American youth sub-culture incomprehensible to me?
But then I began to have second thoughts .
I had to change some of my views, adjust some of my attitudes.
Through masses and masses of junk, some items of substance began to take shape.
I was impressed by FLICKR.
I saw some limited uses of tagging.
I sensed some limited value in wikis.
I discovered podcasts.
I was impressed by Worldcat.
I was pleased by ZOHO WRITER.
I was delighted by GOOGLE MAPS.
To me the conclusion is obvious.
We need to cherry pick the array of "applications" available, where there are gains to be made.
What we must avoid is to slavishly impose on our library all that is new, as a crude form of ideology. Dumbing down worries me most.
Unfortunately , like everybody else, I have had to hurry through the literature, cut corners, skim read in all sorts of circumstances, all whilst doing regular duties at work.
I was not always able to think things through thoroughly.
I was only able to give brief passing comments. I was overwhelmed by so much strange technical jargon.
But I have definitely benefited from participating in this learning program.
I feel chastened, somewhat subdued, and have experienced some shift in some of my attitudes.
P.S. I am still haunted by the prospect of dumbing down of the SLV by the ideological concepts in "Library 2.0".
I am not so young. I dont use the internet, except at work, and only when neccessary, which is increasingly often.
Struck a number of technical problems regularly, because I am not at all familiar with the widespread technical jargon, buzzwurds, acronyms etc.
I had to ask for assistance when stuck.
I was most surprised and gobsmacked by what I found was "out there".
For a while I saw things through the eyes of a sociologist/anthropologist.
"Out there" was a major subculture of technology addicts, electronic junkies, hurriedly consuming a barrage of dumbed down "stuff"- the world of blogs, feeds and tags re food recipes rock bands,shopping fads, consumption of junk culture, junk news, junk commentaries, junk conversations.The endless consumption of gimmicks,by people communicating in a lingo of their own.Not unlike that of street gangs, pop groups or drug addicts.
I thought; What has this to do with libraries?
Was this some kind of American youth sub-culture incomprehensible to me?
But then I began to have second thoughts .
I had to change some of my views, adjust some of my attitudes.
Through masses and masses of junk, some items of substance began to take shape.
I was impressed by FLICKR.
I saw some limited uses of tagging.
I sensed some limited value in wikis.
I discovered podcasts.
I was impressed by Worldcat.
I was pleased by ZOHO WRITER.
I was delighted by GOOGLE MAPS.
To me the conclusion is obvious.
We need to cherry pick the array of "applications" available, where there are gains to be made.
What we must avoid is to slavishly impose on our library all that is new, as a crude form of ideology. Dumbing down worries me most.
Unfortunately , like everybody else, I have had to hurry through the literature, cut corners, skim read in all sorts of circumstances, all whilst doing regular duties at work.
I was not always able to think things through thoroughly.
I was only able to give brief passing comments. I was overwhelmed by so much strange technical jargon.
But I have definitely benefited from participating in this learning program.
I feel chastened, somewhat subdued, and have experienced some shift in some of my attitudes.
P.S. I am still haunted by the prospect of dumbing down of the SLV by the ideological concepts in "Library 2.0".
# 17 ON LIBRARY 2.0 and WEB 2.0
" Library 2.0" is an amorphous and nebulous term, and means different things to different people.
At the best it encompasses attempts to see library collections and services from a users point of view; rather than from the traditional view regarding the organization of, and access to, a library's collection, held by librarians.
Hence the push to make libraries more user friendly by simplifying access to information, and engaging users input into library processes.
At the worst, "Library 2.0" is not much more than a convenient marketing label, encompassing a wide range of largely unrelated technical "applications", stemming from the IT industry.
A repackaging and supplementing of "Web 2.0"?
Is "Library 2.0" really a single separate entity?
On an individual basis, some "Web 2.0" applications may have their place in the day to day activities of habitual internet users- RSS,Social Bookmarking, Tagging,Video Sharing ,etc.
They suit some people living in the fast lane, hooked on rapidly finding and consuming an ever increasing barrage of largely brief, shallow, and trite trivia, cascading through the internet.
But should a major reference library plunge headlong into this inevitably dumbing down process?
The central aspect of "Library 2.0" seems to be an obsession with "customer participation", users becoming "engaged", "user generated contact and interaction" with libraries, and libraries "actively creating a digital community".
Libraries are to provide "customer driven offerings".
Umbopo asks: Is all this code for dumbing down?
Ours is a major REFERENCE LIBRARY, with a unique historical research collection.
Its role and function is quite diferent from that of your local suburban library branch.
Obviously SLV is no longer a nineteenth century gentlemen's reading room.
We face a different kind of public today, than we did a few decades ago.
Further education is no longer restricted to an "intellectual" elite.Clearly we have to keep that in mind as we continue to re-evaluate our library services.As always, we need to monitor library users needs,in particular ,where , how, and why they fail to find what they seek. Many users still continue to fail at the most basic level.
But we should maintain standards, and attempt to elevate an increasing number of potential users to that standard.
By all means make use of new technology to improve the utility of the SLV catalogues.
Worldcat is impresive.
Library Labs less so... it is cluttered with junk opinions and defacto ads.
Perhaps we have something to learn from Worldcat, with its useful clustered search results.
But Umbopo says: Beware of COMMUNITY blogs, wikis, tags, and other "user engagement tools"!
Lets not be stampeded by downmarket fads!
Lets not jump on every passing bandwagon!
Improving results obtained by library users does not neccessarily mean imposing more and more electronic playthings!
Just because something flickers, beeps, and is coloured,does not mean it is a better source of information!
Already the SLV has undergone a significant dumbing down process.
A significant number of people come in only to do free hotmails, watch pornography, join chat groups, play computergames, download rock groups, gamble, purchase goods online , do their banking , etc etc.
Naturally all this activates the clickers at the door.
This provides statistics re "visitor experience"!
This in turn results in more funding for more electronic playthings, coming from a populist government.
We experience more and more "happenings".
We experience more crowds and more noise.
We experience endless streams of primary school children herded through the premises to play with paper Ned Kelly masks , etc, etc.
(But this results in more clicks at the door)
Academics , scholars, researchers, and historians are now using the Baillieu as their preferred port of call.
(Fewer clicks at the door lost here)
Umbopo asks: Perhaps we are already experiencing our own version of " Libraries 2.0"?
Umbopo is saddened and worried , lest the SLV be gradually transformed into a free CBD electronic fun park, an electronic amusement centre: geared for, aimed at, and driven by the demands of the lowest common denominator!
Is this " Library 2.0"? Is this the heralded "Big Bang" ?
Umbopo started work here as a reference librarian, but now faces the prospect of retiring as a fun park attendant.
Such is Umbopo's world.
A
At the best it encompasses attempts to see library collections and services from a users point of view; rather than from the traditional view regarding the organization of, and access to, a library's collection, held by librarians.
Hence the push to make libraries more user friendly by simplifying access to information, and engaging users input into library processes.
At the worst, "Library 2.0" is not much more than a convenient marketing label, encompassing a wide range of largely unrelated technical "applications", stemming from the IT industry.
A repackaging and supplementing of "Web 2.0"?
Is "Library 2.0" really a single separate entity?
On an individual basis, some "Web 2.0" applications may have their place in the day to day activities of habitual internet users- RSS,Social Bookmarking, Tagging,Video Sharing ,etc.
They suit some people living in the fast lane, hooked on rapidly finding and consuming an ever increasing barrage of largely brief, shallow, and trite trivia, cascading through the internet.
But should a major reference library plunge headlong into this inevitably dumbing down process?
The central aspect of "Library 2.0" seems to be an obsession with "customer participation", users becoming "engaged", "user generated contact and interaction" with libraries, and libraries "actively creating a digital community".
Libraries are to provide "customer driven offerings".
Umbopo asks: Is all this code for dumbing down?
Ours is a major REFERENCE LIBRARY, with a unique historical research collection.
Its role and function is quite diferent from that of your local suburban library branch.
Obviously SLV is no longer a nineteenth century gentlemen's reading room.
We face a different kind of public today, than we did a few decades ago.
Further education is no longer restricted to an "intellectual" elite.Clearly we have to keep that in mind as we continue to re-evaluate our library services.As always, we need to monitor library users needs,in particular ,where , how, and why they fail to find what they seek. Many users still continue to fail at the most basic level.
But we should maintain standards, and attempt to elevate an increasing number of potential users to that standard.
By all means make use of new technology to improve the utility of the SLV catalogues.
Worldcat is impresive.
Library Labs less so... it is cluttered with junk opinions and defacto ads.
Perhaps we have something to learn from Worldcat, with its useful clustered search results.
But Umbopo says: Beware of COMMUNITY blogs, wikis, tags, and other "user engagement tools"!
Lets not be stampeded by downmarket fads!
Lets not jump on every passing bandwagon!
Improving results obtained by library users does not neccessarily mean imposing more and more electronic playthings!
Just because something flickers, beeps, and is coloured,does not mean it is a better source of information!
Already the SLV has undergone a significant dumbing down process.
A significant number of people come in only to do free hotmails, watch pornography, join chat groups, play computergames, download rock groups, gamble, purchase goods online , do their banking , etc etc.
Naturally all this activates the clickers at the door.
This provides statistics re "visitor experience"!
This in turn results in more funding for more electronic playthings, coming from a populist government.
We experience more and more "happenings".
We experience more crowds and more noise.
We experience endless streams of primary school children herded through the premises to play with paper Ned Kelly masks , etc, etc.
(But this results in more clicks at the door)
Academics , scholars, researchers, and historians are now using the Baillieu as their preferred port of call.
(Fewer clicks at the door lost here)
Umbopo asks: Perhaps we are already experiencing our own version of " Libraries 2.0"?
Umbopo is saddened and worried , lest the SLV be gradually transformed into a free CBD electronic fun park, an electronic amusement centre: geared for, aimed at, and driven by the demands of the lowest common denominator!
Is this " Library 2.0"? Is this the heralded "Big Bang" ?
Umbopo started work here as a reference librarian, but now faces the prospect of retiring as a fun park attendant.
Such is Umbopo's world.
A
#16 PODCASTS
Explored podcast directory Podcast.net
Many subject groupings of items offered.Also, title,presenter,location etc. search options available.
Yet most items found were just downmarket junk!
Tried known local radio program "Late night live"
Scored hits for archived programs, but could not get any of them to play!
When visited ABC RN website direct ,to obtain podcast - no problems!
Tried some foreign language podcasts listed in directory- some play, some dont.
Tried politics and government listing- found mainly acres and acres of trivia and opinionated junk from downmarket "shows".
Best tactic is to home in on a known quality source, eg. ABC RN, BBC , and go for a known quality program.
Visited ABC Radio National.
Tested Boyer Lectures,Late Night Live,Hindsight etc. All work.. no technical problems.
Added HINDSIGHT RSS feed to my Google Reader Account. It worked. No technical problems!
ABC Radio National has not yet gone downmarket, and still offers a number of quality, objective,thought provoking programs available on podcast.
SLV could make use of this "application" by making earphones available to potential "poddies", at a terminal in the AV section in AMPA.
Many subject groupings of items offered.Also, title,presenter,location etc. search options available.
Yet most items found were just downmarket junk!
Tried known local radio program "Late night live"
Scored hits for archived programs, but could not get any of them to play!
When visited ABC RN website direct ,to obtain podcast - no problems!
Tried some foreign language podcasts listed in directory- some play, some dont.
Tried politics and government listing- found mainly acres and acres of trivia and opinionated junk from downmarket "shows".
Best tactic is to home in on a known quality source, eg. ABC RN, BBC , and go for a known quality program.
Visited ABC Radio National.
Tested Boyer Lectures,Late Night Live,Hindsight etc. All work.. no technical problems.
Added HINDSIGHT RSS feed to my Google Reader Account. It worked. No technical problems!
ABC Radio National has not yet gone downmarket, and still offers a number of quality, objective,thought provoking programs available on podcast.
SLV could make use of this "application" by making earphones available to potential "poddies", at a terminal in the AV section in AMPA.
# VIDEO SHARING WEBSITES
Checked YOUTUBE.
Found very, very few items of SUBSTANCE or value.
Found mainly very brief CLIPS , not full length videos.
Struck constant technical problems esp. "buffering", but learned patience, and second attempts could overcome some problems.
Checked SCIENCE HACK.
Again - very brief clips.
Sought info. on "tangents"- nix.
Tried "phosgene"-nix.
Instead was offered "alternatives" on unrelated subjects , plus ads and ads and ads!
Obtained more positive results on "How it is made" series.-some limited value here.
Tried TEACHER TUBE.
Yet again, a few very short "clips", "grabs", but next to nothing of substance.
Some items on history and politics very opinionated, simplistic, and even misguiding.
Plenty of stupid comments tagged on everywhere.
The chances of finding what you are actually seeking are miniscule. (how well even Wikipedia compares with Teacher Tube!)
Pity the young generation if the "tubes" above constitute education today.
Tried emailing a couple of items to myself from the Ref, desk terminal. They arrived , but would not open and play.
Technical problems dominated this exercise.
Cannot see any value for SLV ,or its users from this Video sharing application.
P.S. Succeeded in embedding video clip "Prairie Chicken Dance" into my blog!(see below)
Takes some time to load, but it works!
The most intelligent clip I could find on the Teacher Tube .
It saved my day!
Found very, very few items of SUBSTANCE or value.
Found mainly very brief CLIPS , not full length videos.
Struck constant technical problems esp. "buffering", but learned patience, and second attempts could overcome some problems.
Checked SCIENCE HACK.
Again - very brief clips.
Sought info. on "tangents"- nix.
Tried "phosgene"-nix.
Instead was offered "alternatives" on unrelated subjects , plus ads and ads and ads!
Obtained more positive results on "How it is made" series.-some limited value here.
Tried TEACHER TUBE.
Yet again, a few very short "clips", "grabs", but next to nothing of substance.
Some items on history and politics very opinionated, simplistic, and even misguiding.
Plenty of stupid comments tagged on everywhere.
The chances of finding what you are actually seeking are miniscule. (how well even Wikipedia compares with Teacher Tube!)
Pity the young generation if the "tubes" above constitute education today.
Tried emailing a couple of items to myself from the Ref, desk terminal. They arrived , but would not open and play.
Technical problems dominated this exercise.
Cannot see any value for SLV ,or its users from this Video sharing application.
P.S. Succeeded in embedding video clip "Prairie Chicken Dance" into my blog!(see below)
Takes some time to load, but it works!
The most intelligent clip I could find on the Teacher Tube .
It saved my day!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
# 13 TECHNOLOGY
Over the years there have been obvious benefits to the SLV stemming from advances in technology.
Our online voyager catalogue leaves the old card catalogue for dead- the latter simply could not function in todays world.
Our users can order books from home, before arriving at the library.
Our users can access from home a number of quality databases (eg G.B. House of Commons.
Sessional Papers), encyclopaedias, textbooks, and a selection of full text journals.
The SLV online digitized picture collection offers so much that until recently was unknown and unused.
Communicating with our patrons via email has greatly simplified and speeded up the transmission of information.
The accessioning of periodicals and the selection and ordering of books, have been significantly upgraded and streamlined via new technology.
The daily internal administration processes of the SLV have been transformed for the better by the application of modern technology.
We are currently working on a project to enable federated searching to take place across our catalogues.
Technology in itself is neither good or bad.
Obviously we must continue to monitor what is happening "out there" in technologyland.
We should select this and that, here and there, now and then, if we can benefit from it, if it is relevant to us as a major reference and research library
But we must not be stampeded into taking on board purile fads, and playthings, simply because they are based on something"electronic" they are popular with yobbos , and somebody else is using it.
Remember the parable of the emperor's clothes!
We must not allow technology to become an ideology, and the SLV must not become an ideology driven institution.
P.S Umbopo sometimes suffers from technology fatigue. As soon as he masters the kiddies version of some new contraption,its replaced by something newer!
Umbopo's mind feel overloaded, it tires .
Umbopo seeks out the company of blackbirds and potato plants for solace and reinvigoration.
Our online voyager catalogue leaves the old card catalogue for dead- the latter simply could not function in todays world.
Our users can order books from home, before arriving at the library.
Our users can access from home a number of quality databases (eg G.B. House of Commons.
Sessional Papers), encyclopaedias, textbooks, and a selection of full text journals.
The SLV online digitized picture collection offers so much that until recently was unknown and unused.
Communicating with our patrons via email has greatly simplified and speeded up the transmission of information.
The accessioning of periodicals and the selection and ordering of books, have been significantly upgraded and streamlined via new technology.
The daily internal administration processes of the SLV have been transformed for the better by the application of modern technology.
We are currently working on a project to enable federated searching to take place across our catalogues.
Technology in itself is neither good or bad.
Obviously we must continue to monitor what is happening "out there" in technologyland.
We should select this and that, here and there, now and then, if we can benefit from it, if it is relevant to us as a major reference and research library
But we must not be stampeded into taking on board purile fads, and playthings, simply because they are based on something"electronic" they are popular with yobbos , and somebody else is using it.
Remember the parable of the emperor's clothes!
We must not allow technology to become an ideology, and the SLV must not become an ideology driven institution.
P.S Umbopo sometimes suffers from technology fatigue. As soon as he masters the kiddies version of some new contraption,its replaced by something newer!
Umbopo's mind feel overloaded, it tires .
Umbopo seeks out the company of blackbirds and potato plants for solace and reinvigoration.
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